Surgical ligature and package



acter above stated, (although BERTRAM K. HOLLISTER, OF CHQlICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SURGICAL LIGATURE AND PACKAGE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTRAM K. Hon- LISTER, a citizen of the United States, residingvat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgical Ligatures and Packages, of which the followmg is a specification.

The present invention relates to puttmg up in commercial form surgical ligatures, particularly those made of the material commonly known as catgut, and constitutes an improvement upon the invention described and claimed in my U. S. Patent No. 1,239,690 of September 11, 1917.

The object of the invention is to improve the product, by the use of a special sterilizing liquid embraced within the inventlon.

whereby the antiseptic effect is increased and other advantages secured.

As in my prior patent referredto, I preferably employ as the base of the se-allng liquid, or liquid in which the catgut liga ture is immersed, or partially immersed, (which two terms are used interchangeably in the present specification, since it is not necessary that the entire ligature be completely immersed at all positions of the container), a highly refined kerosene of which the initial boiling point is preferably above 140 to 150 C. I have now found that a good grade of highly refined kerosene having an initial boiling point of about 184 0., is especially well suited for the purpose. The initial boiling point of the erosene used may vary moreor less (say 175 to 184 (1), but, preferably, there should not be any large fraction of the kerosene boiling below about 184 C. Highly refined kerosene of this character gives better results than kerosene of lower initial boiling point.

In accordance with the present invention,

the sealing liquid is preferably prepared by first dissolving one part of red mercuric iodid in about 1200 parts (by weight) of chloroform, chemically pure chloroform being preferred for the purpose. To one part, by volume, of this liquid. there is added nine parts, by volume, of kerosene of the charother hydrocarbon oils may be employe especially distillates of petroleum, after suitable purification). This produces a solution containing approximately one part of mercuric iodid in. 10,000 parts'of solution (by weight).- The Application filed January 27, 1919. Serial No. 273,439.

liquid produced is a highly stable solution, which exerts an antiseptic and germicidal action, and also possesses many of the advantages of the sealing liquid set forth in my prior patent above referred to, and does not possess the disadvantages which would be present if free iodin were employed. It may be noted that mercuric iodid itself is not soluble in kerosene, but is readily soluble in chloroform, and the chloroform solution of mercuric iodid mixes readily with the oil, so that Iproduce, by the method disclosed,

a solution of the iodid in a vehicle consisting largely of kerosene.

The other materials, as specified in my prior patent, can be employed if desired, and if employed, will further improve thesealing liquid. Chloroform (say 33%), oils which are antiseptic, or oils which mask the kerosene odor, e. g., oil of eucalyptus (say 1%), oil of peppermint (say 1%), oil of plne needles (say 5%), or mixtures of such oils (say 5%) or thymol or menthol (say 1% or 2%), or other antiseptic or germicidal material (e. g., pyoktannin) are mentioned as materials which can be so added;- the percentages stated are 'based on the amount then seal and sterilize the tube in any well known manner. At the time of use the tube is broken open, a scratch being made intermediate the ends of the tube to facilitatethis operation, as in the usual manner, and the ligature is then removed from the tube and employed in the usual manner.

Kerosene, of the character referred to, consists almost exclusively of saturated hydrocarbons ofthe paraffin series.

What is claimed is:

,1. A liquid suitable for holding ligature material of the nature of catgut, comprising kerosene, the major portion of which boils at a temperature above 184 C., carrying therein a small amount of mercuric iodid and a solvent for the latter which is readily miscible with the kerosene.

2. A liquid suitable for holding catgut ligatures, said liquid comprising red mer curic iodid dissolved in chloroform and mixed with kerosene.

3. A liquid suitable for holding ligatures in the nature of catgut, comprising red mercuric iodid', chloroform and kerosene, the amount of ehloroform'being about/ten per- 5 cent by volume of the mixture, and the entire liquid having a content of mercuric iodid equal to about one part in 10,000.

4. A liquid suitable forholding ligature kerosene, the major-portion of which kerol sene boils at a temperature of about 184 C.,

said liquid also containing red mercuric iodid.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

BERTRAM K. HOLLISTER.

signed my 

